Perplexity unveiled a free AI shopping experience that uses conversational mechanics to mix the inspiration of product discovery with one-click checkout via PayPal, indicating what could be an industry push to allow conversational search to become directly transactional.
According to the company, when complete, the assistant will display recommendations based on each user’s specific needs and present a PayPal-powered Instant Buy button that lets them purchase without leaving the results.
Unlike standard shopping pages that push paid placements, Perplexity focuses on unbiased needs-first recommendations based on the context of chat. Product cards consist of images, product pricing and delivery particulars, as well as the merchant’s source along with curated reviews and bite-sized buying advice. Looking ahead, the Instant Buy integration based on PayPal will scale to beyond 5,000 merchants as onboarding ramps.
How Perplexity’s PayPal Instant Buy Checkout Flow Works
The new flow is “an effort to consolidate research and checkout into one conversation.” Tell the assistant what you are looking for — a winter coat for foggy morning ferry commutes in San Francisco, say — and it will surface options that meet those requirements, combined with the use case, climate, and budget range. Then, if you ask about boots with great deck traction (for example), the reply is contextual, not a reset.
If a product fits, Instant Buy leverages PayPal to complete the transaction on stored credentials, shaving the clicks and forms that usually lead to drop-off. Why it matters: The Baymard Institute puts the average cart abandonment at about 70%, with friction at checkout as a leading cause. Cutting out steps in the process and adding clear delivery and return information can make a material uplift to conversion.
For merchants, the attraction is simple. The buyer protection and familiarity of PayPal breed confidence in the decision flow, while the familiar Instant Buy keeps shoppers just that: inside the experience, focused on their purchase. For users, it’s more like the kind of experience people are used to getting from today’s assistants — ask, compare, buy — instead of jumping around between tabs.
Personalization Without Pay-To-Play or Paid Placements
Perplexity’s pitch relies a lot on trust. The company says it will not prioritize advertisers or products from affiliates, and instead will adjust results based on your individual preferences and previous chats. This also means the system can learn a style profile over time: A search for desk lamps, say, might try to prioritize mid-century designs if that aesthetic has been broached in past conversations, even if it’s not repeated.
The strategy is a response to the growing skepticism around AI shopping that commingles editorial recommendations with monetized links. If done properly, transparent product context and source clarity can assist users in understanding why a recommendation is shown here — one of the critical aspects for building trust in AI curation as more buying journeys shift from search to chat.
The Race Among Rivals to Integrate Search and Checkout
The rollout of Perplexity arrives at a time when AI shopping assistants are proliferating. OpenAI has recently implemented a shopping mode in ChatGPT, with PayPal as a payment partner over there too. The distinction is in where you start: ChatGPT’s shopping is an enabling mode and Perplexity integrates itself into the very core Q&A flow of GPT. The race is on to make the place where discovery and purchase join.
Retailers are watching closely. McKinsey analysts have expected in recent years that generative AI could generate high value in retail by enhancing product discovery, personalization, and conversion. If assistants can meaningfully shorten the journey from “What shall I buy?” to “I purchased it,” they may end up shaping what merchants are found — and which carts truly convert.
Availability in the US and What’s Next for Rollout
The AI shopping option is available to all users in the US on web and desktop, with Android and iOS app support coming soon. And this builds on Perplexity’s earlier “Buy with Pro” experience that offered paid members instant checkout (again, only at select merchants); the new experience offers a more universal form of convenience for its wider user base.
As PayPal integration widens to include thousands of merchants, anticipate a laser focus on shipping speed, return policies, and post-purchase support within the product cards. Those details, along with frictionless checkouts, are likely to matter as much as price. If Perplexity can keep recommendations neutral and explanations clear, there’s no reason that Instant Buy couldn’t become a default step in users’ product search funnel once they’re already leaning on the service for research.
Bottom line: It’s the next natural leap in commerce to turn AI answers into purchases. Perplexity is gambling on the idea that a slick, low-friction PayPal checkout with some context-aware nudging will convert intent into orders — without impugning trust in the process.
